Holiday Travelers Managing Smoothly

Air, Land Conduits Busy, But No Major Problems

David Sanders expected chaos when he took his son Mario to Norfolk International Airport to catch a flight to Chicago early Wednesday evening, but the heavy morning crowds had subsided.

"We got here early, thinking there would be lines out the door," Sanders said, "but we didn't even have to fight for a parking spot."

Airport and roadway officials said that Wednesday's heavy travel day was busy as usual but that there weren't any significant problems on either front.

AAA estimated that 4.6 million people would fly during the Thanksgiving holiday, including 120,000 Virginians cramming the airports. The travel group expects 31 million people to drive to their destinations, including almost 900,000 in Virginia -- a 2.8 percent increase in the state from last year.

Mark Falin, manager at Newport News/^]Williamsburg International Airport, said that it was a little busier than last year but that there weren't any significant problems. Falin expected foot traffic in the airport today to be just as heavy as Wednesday's, but he didn't expect any delays.

"Everything seems to be going pretty smooth," he said.

This is the first Thanksgiving travel weekend since the U.S. Transportation Security Administration began swabbing and analyzing every bag to check for explosives, Falin said. But the TSA had extra workers, and it was taking travelers in Newport News only about four minutes to get through security checks. "A line is never developing," Falin said.

There weren't any problems at the Norfolk airport, which appears to have about the same number of travelers as last year, said Wayne Shank, the airport's deputy director. But there was a wait of at least 35 minutes to get through security.

"The TSA's on top of things and appears to be well-staffed to handle the push," Shank said.

Nonetheless, he recommends that people arrive two hours before departure times throughout the holiday season. The security waiting time varies, depending on the time of day. It's also useful to call the airline to ask how early to come, he said.

"Typically on Thanksgiving day, it's heavy in the morning, and it tapers off in midafternoon," Shank said.

To keep security moving at the airport, the TSA suggests:

* Don't bring wrapped presents with you.

* Put metal items like cell ular telephones and keys in a carry-on bag for screening.

* Remove laptop computers from their cases before reaching the screeners.

AAA advises that people factor in plenty of time for parking -- possibly far from the terminal -- and riding a shuttle to check-in. Air travelers can save some time by using the self-check-in kiosks at the airport.

AAA expected Wednesday and this Sunday to be the busiest day at the airports, and for Thanksgiving Day to be the craziest day for driving.

Sgt. D.S. Carr with the Virginia State Police said there were no significant accidents as of late Wednesday afternoon.

There was a South Hampton Roads accident on westbound Interstate 64 before the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel about 3 p.m., but it was cleared in about 15 minutes. Between heavy travel traffic and rush hour, the tunnel was backed up four to five miles by 5 p.m. Wednesday.